This virtual meeting will highlight cutting-edge science and provide insight into recent developments towards therapeutic stromal cell targeting in cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases. View full details and register: https://www.healthtech.com/stroma-conference

1. Healthtech.com/Stroma-Conference | 1
Healthtech.com/Stroma-Conference
Jovana Cupovic, PhD
Max-Planck Institute
of Immunobiology and
Epigenetics
Viviana Cremasco, PhD
Novartis Institutes for
BioMedical Research (NIBR)
Scientific Breakthroughs and Novel Therapeutic Approaches
REGISTER EARLY FOR
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HOSTS &
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CHI’s Inaugural
APRIL 21-22, 2021 EDT [UT: 4:00]
CORPORATE SUPPORT SPONSORS
Shannon Turley, PhD
Genentech
Burkhard Ludewig, DVM
Kantonsspital St. Gallen,
Switzerland

2. Healthtech.com/Stroma-Conference | 2
Stromal cells are key structural cells that construct tissue microenvironments, regulate tissue repair and provide critical growth and differentiation factors. Stromal cells are
now recognized as central regulators of immune responses in lymphoid organs and in inflamed tissues. Targeting of stromal cells thus holds great promise for improving
human health. The field of stromal cell research has gained substantial traction towards clinical application through the dissection of fundamental processes underpinning
stromal cell function and the description of stromal cell heterogeneity in patients. CHI’s Inaugural Targeting Stromal Cells in Cancer and Inflammatory Diseases will highlight
cutting-edge science and provide insight into recent developments towards therapeutic stromal cell targeting in cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases. Join leading
researchers at this virtual conference to explore the key trends and technologies being used to advance this field and how the pharmaceutical industry is seeing impact.
Scientific Breakthroughs and Novel Therapeutic Approaches
ALL TIMES EASTERN DAYLIGHT
(UTC-4:00)
APRIL 21-22, 2021
Scientific Breakthroughs and
Novel Therapeutic Approaches
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21
Stromal-Immune Cell Interaction in Lymphoid
Tissues: Guidance and Control
8:40 am Advisory Board Opening Remarks
9:00 Fibroblastic Reticular Cells in Lymphoid Organs
Burkhard Ludewig, DVM, Professor, Head, Medical Research Center,
Kantonsspital St. Gallen, Switzerland
Fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) have been viewed as structural
cells that support distinct compartments within lymphoid tissues
and little more. Instead, an active FRC-immune cells cross-
talk drives the maturation of lymphoid niches, a relationship
that is recapitulated during lymphorganogenesis, steady-state
conditions and following inflammation. In my presentation, I will
discuss recent advances in genetic models and high-resolution
transcriptomic analyses that have propelled the finer resolution of
the FRC landscape.
9:20 The Fibroblastic T Cell Niche in Lymphoid Tissues
Anne Fletcher, PhD, Senior Research Fellow, Biochemistry &
Molecular Biology Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute,
Melbourne, Australia
9:40 Kinetics and Mechanics of Lymphoid Tissue
Remodelling
Sophie Acton, PhD, Group Leader, Cancer Research UK Fellow,
University College London
Lymph nodes provide the infrastructure for adaptive immune
responses. The fibroblastic reticular cell (FRC) network balances
and adapts to changing mechanical strain during lymph node
expansion. We image live lymph node tissue to determine the
mechanical state of the FRC network through tissue remodelling.
We characterise the cell intrinsic mechanical properties of
FRCs and demonstrate how tension through the FRC network is
modulated by actomyosin contractile forces within the FRCs.
10:00 Sponsored Presentation (Opportunity Available)
10:20 Moderated Live Q&A: With Speakers of the Session
Moderator: Burkhard Ludewig, DVM, Professor, Head, Medical
Research Center, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, Switzerland
10:45 Session Break
Stromal Cell-Driven Tissue Immunity: Origin
and Identity
11:00 Reprograming of Pulmonary Fibroblastic Niches to
Support Protective CD8+
T Cell Responses
Jovana Cupovic, Max Planck Institute of Immunology and
Epigenetics
Ad vectors facilitated the rapid clinical implementation of vaccine
designs during the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic. Ad vectors allow for
long-term antigen deposition, leading to sustained inflating
memory CD8+
T cells. However, the tissue factors maintaining
long-lived memory CD8+
T cells remain elusive. Here, we reveal
that Ad vector immunization reprograms lung fibroblasts leading
to the formation of immune niches that support the protective
function of inflationary memory T cells.
11:20 How Stromal Cells Organise the Capture of
Peritoneal Contaminants by Fat-Associated Lymphoid
Clusters of the Omentum
Cecile Benezech, PhD, Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University
of Edinburgh
Visceral adipose tissues play a critical role in the filtration and
immune surveillance of serous cavities. The surface of these
tissues supports the development of fat-associated lymphoid
clusters (FALCs) which mediate the capture of contaminants
present in the serous cavities and the activation of innate-like B
cells. Here we will discuss the origin and function of FALC stromal
cells.
11:40 Stroma-Macrophage Two Cell Circuits
Marc Bajenoff, PhD, Centre d’Immunologie Marseille-Luminy
Macrophages sustain tissue homeostasis within the body through
trophic, regulatory and repair functions. Macrophage homeostasis
is locally regulated by “niches.” Although this concept has recently
found great appreciation in the field, the very nature of these
niches and the molecular dialog they establish with macrophages
in vivo remains elusive. Here, I will discuss the role of stromal cells
as macrophage niches.
12:00 pm Immune Cell-Stromal Cell Interaction in Splenic
Microenvironments
Scott Mueller, PhD, NHMRC Senior Research Fellow and Laboratory
Head, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Doherty
Institute, The University of Melbourne
12:20 Moderated Live Q&A: With Speakers of the Session
Moderator: Jovana Cupovic, Max Planck Institute of Immunology
and Epigenetics

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TARGETING STROMAL CELLS IN CANCER AND INFAMMATORY DISEASES (Cont.) ALL TIMES EASTERN DAYLIGHT (UTC-4:00)
12:45 Session Break
Stromal Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment:
Function and Topology
1:20 Stromal Cell Niches in Solid Tumors
Shannon Turley, PhD, Executive Director, Cancer Immunology,
Genentech
1:40 The Single-Cell Fibroblast Landscape of Lung Cancer
Bernd Bodenmiller, PhD, Professor, Quantitative Biology, University
of Zurich
2:00 Structural Cells Are Key Regulators of Organ-Specific
Immune Responses
Thomas Krausgruber, PhD, Senior Postdoctoral Fellow, Christoph
Bock Lab, CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine
Immune functions are not unique to haematopoietic cells, and
many other cell types display basic mechanisms of pathogen
defence. To advance understanding of immunology outside
the haematopoietic system, we characterized structural cells
across twelve organs in mice, revealing complex immune gene
activity and regulation in these cells. Moreover, we identified an
epigenetically encoded immune potential in structural cells under
tissue homeostasis, which was activated in response to systemic
viral infection.
2:20 Targeting Stromal BCAT1 Reduces Branched-Chain
Ketoacid Dependency in Stromal-Rich PDAC Tumors
Deepak Nagrath, PhD, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering,
University of Michigan
Branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) in cancer serve as
requisite precursors for biosynthesis in cells. Our recent study
revealed differential BCAA metabolism in cancer and stromal
compartments of PDAC tumors. We identified a strikingly higher
BCAA catabolic flux in CAFs but increased BCKA oxidative flux
in cancer cells. Further, CAF-secreted BCKAs were used for
maintaining protein synthesis, augmenting TCA cycle metabolite
pools, and increasing oxidative phosphorylation in cancer cells.
2:40 LIVE Panel Discussion: Hot Buttons
Moderator: Shannon Turley, PhD, Executive Director, Cancer
Immunology, Genentech
Symposium Connects
4:00 Close of Day
THURSDAY, APRIL 22
Stromal Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment:
Targets and Treatments
9:00 am Fibroblast Dynamics in Cancer
Viviana Cremasco, PhD, Senior Principal Scientist, Exploratory
Immuno-Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research Inc.
Despite the increasing interest in targeting stromal elements of
the tumor microenvironment, we still face tremendous challenges
in developing adequate therapeutics to modify the tumor stromal
landscape. A major obstacle to this is our poor appreciation of
the phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of stromal cells
in tumors. Understanding the plasticity of stromal cells is of
the upmost importance to identify pathways and molecules to
program CAF composition for cancer therapy.
9:20 Cross-Tissue Single-Cell Transcriptomics Reveals
Organizing Principles of Fibroblasts in Health and Disease
Matthew Buechler, PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher, Cancer
Immunology, Genentech Inc.
We integrated single-cell RNA transcriptomic data from 150,000
fibroblast cells from mouse organs. These data revealed two
universal fibroblast cell subtypes in all tissues, five specialized
subtypes in steady-state tissues and three activated fibroblast
subtypes in perturbed tissues. Analysis of human samples
revealed fibroblast subtypes found in mice are conserved
between species. Collectively, these data enabled us to define
the organizing principles of the fibroblast lineage in health and
disease.
9:40 Use of Multi-Omic and Machine Learning Approaches
for Discovery of Novel Targets of Cancer-Associated
Fibroblasts
Michael J. Briskin, PhD, Senior Advisor, Obsidian Therapeutics Inc.
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are not only physical barriers
but have the ability to modulate anti-tumor immune responses.
We use a combination of machine learning, tools, multi-omics
and novel cellular assays to deconvolute complex systems more
representative of the tumor microenvironment. This approach has
been exemplified by the identification of novel targets that are now
being moved towards preclinical validation.
10:00 Sponsored Presentation (Opportunity Available)
10:20 Moderated Live Q&A: With Speakers of the Session
Moderator: Viviana Cremasco, PhD, Senior Principal Scientist,
Exploratory Immuno-Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical
Research Inc.
10:45 Session Break
Stromal Cells in Chronic Inflammatory
Diseases: Repair and Regeneration
11:00 Scars or Regeneration? Dermal Fibroblasts as
Drivers of Diverse Skin Wound Response
Yuval Rinkevich, PhD, Regenerative Biology & Medicine Institute
(RBM), Helmholtz Zentrum, Munich, Germany
Rigid anatomies emerge through the ordered self-organization of
cells and extracellular matrix. These anatomies emerge during
embryonic development but also materialize during wound-
repair and regeneration, wherein new rigid frames are recreated
at sites of injury in order to maintain structural and mechanical
continuums. I will discuss recent findings on heterogeneous
fibroblasts and novel mechanisms of wound repair and
regeneration.
11:20 Activin-Mediated Stromal Cell Activation Controls
Wound Healing and Cancer Development
Sabine Werner, PhD, Professor and Deputy Head of Department of
Biology, ETH Zurich
There are remarkable cellular parallels between tissue repair
and cancer, including migration and proliferation of fibroblasts.
Transcriptional profiling of wound and tumor fibroblasts showed
overexpression of activin A and its downstream targets in both
conditions. This promoted wound repair, but also tumor formation
through immune cell alterations and reprogramming of fibroblasts.
This example highlights the role of fibroblasts in tissue repair and
cancer and the molecular parallels between both conditions.
11:40 Unlocking the Cellular Basis of Arthritis Reveals
Fibroblasts as Attractive Therapeutic Targets
Christopher D. Buckley, PhD, Professor, Rheumatology, University of
Birmingham
Functional subclasses of fibroblasts have proven difficult to
define. Consequently, there are no approved drugs that specifically
target fibroblasts. Here I will describe the interrelationships
between synovial fibroblast subsets in the synovium, observe how
changes in their biology alters the balance between persistent
inflammation and tissue damage and explore how drug discovery
and clinical trials targeting fibroblasts might be accelerated by
advances in our understanding of fibroblast biology.
12:00 pm Adding Insult to Injury – Inflammation at the
Heart of Cardiac Fibrosis
Pilar Alcaide, PhD, Kenneth and JoAnn G. Wellner Professor, Cell,
Molecular & Developmental Biology, Immunology, Tufts University
This seminar will discuss evidence from experimental animal
models demonstrating a causal role for T cells, primarily IFNy
secreting Th1 cells infiltrated in the heart, in promoting cardiac
fibrosis and cardiac dysfunction, two hallmarks of heart failure.

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TARGETING STROMAL CELLS IN CANCER AND INFAMMATORY DISEASES (Cont.) ALL TIMES EASTERN DAYLIGHT (UTC-4:00)
Novel mechanistic insights in the T cell-cardiac fibroblast crosstalk
will be discussed as possible targets to therapeutically ameliorate
cardiac dysfunction and fibrosis.
12:20 Moderated Live Q&A: With Speakers of the Session
Moderator: Burkhard Ludewig, DVM, Professor, Head, Medical
Research Center, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, Switzerland
12:45 Session Break
Stromal Cells in Chronic Inflammatory
Diseases: Transfer and Translation
1:20 The Mesenchymal Context in Inflammation, Immunity
and Cancer
George Kollias, PhD, Researcher & Director of Immunology, BSRC
Fleming, Vari, Greece
Recent detailed mechanistic insights into the biology of
fibroblastic mesenchymal cells have revealed they are also
significantly involved in immune regulation, stem cell maintenance
and blood vessel function. It is now becoming evident that
these functions, when defective, drive the development of
complex diseases, such as various immunopathologies, chronic
inflammatory disease, tissue fibrosis and cancer.
1:40 Synovial Fibroblast Identity and Arthritis Pathology
Michael Brenner, Elizabeth Fay Brigham Professor, Medicine,
Brigham & Womens Hospital
2:00 Mechanisms and Hallmarks of Fibroblast Progenitors
in Disease
Fiona Watt, PhD, Professor & Director, Center for Stem Cells &
Regenerative Medicine, Kings College London
2:20 Single-Cell Stromal Atlas Identifies Conserved
Fibroblast Phenotypes in Inflamed Tissues
Andreas Frei, PhD, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development,
Immunology, Infectious Diseases and Ophthalmology (I2O)
Discovery and Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel
2:40 LIVE Panel Discussion: Future Directions
Moderator: Shannon Turley, PhD, Executive Director, Cancer
Immunology, Genentech
3:20 Close of Conference

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TARGETING STROMAL CELLS IN CANCER AND INFAMMATORY DISEASES (Cont.) ALL TIMES EASTERN DAYLIGHT (UTC-4:00)

6. ALL TIMES EASTERN DAYLIGHT
(UTC-4:00)
APRIL 21-22, 2021
Scientific Breakthroughs and
Novel Therapeutic Approaches
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